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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: degree · rash · press · mug · tube · roll · staff · firm

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — a container
  3. press — a publisher
  4. staff — employees
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a face
  7. press — newspapers
  8. degree — temperature
  9. firm — steady
  10. press — to push
  11. roll — a cake
  12. staff — a stick
  13. roll — a list
  14. firm — a company
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. degree — from a university
  17. tube — the underground
  18. rash — a series
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. mug — a cup
  21. firm — decided
  22. rash — hasty
  23. degree — an amount
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com